ARLINGTON, Va., November 07, 2023 - AeroVironment Inc. today announced the company’s JUMP 20 VTOL Medium UAS exceeded expectations during the recent U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/4th Fleet Hybrid Fleet Campaign Event (HFCE) that demonstrated human-machine teaming in the maritime domain. The JUMP 20 provided ship-based intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR-T) support to USFOURTHFLT and USSOUTHCOM during the week-long, at-sea exercise onboard USNS Burlington. The JUMP 20 has previously flown over 130,000 land-based hours in support of U.S. Special Operations Command combat deployments, and the expansion of JUMP 20 operations into the shipboard environment allows AeroVironment to provide these services globally.
During HFCE, JUMP 20 showcased its ability to launch and recover at vessel speeds over 20 knots, with fully autonomous flight from takeoff to landing. The JUMP 20 requires neither launch or recovery equipment, nor personnel on the flight deck during launch and recovery, maximizing operational safety and flexibility for users. JUMP 20’s vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability, and class-leading endurance and payload capacity expand the operational capabilities of U.S. and allies to compete and win in the era of great power competition. The JUMP 20 demonstrated how uncrewed systems will support distributed operations across multiple domains, supporting national security objectives and our warfighters.
“The shipboard flight environment is dynamic and challenging. JUMP 20 is a proven combat-effective platform, and the system’s performance during HFCE illustrates the value to maritime operations. JUMP 20’s ability to launch and land at speed, and without personnel intervention, enhances the ship’s operational effectiveness and enables operators to focus on important mission tasking,” said Shane Hastings, AeroVironment’s vice president and product line general manager for Medium UAS. “As we continue to demonstrate and prove the effectiveness of the JUMP 20 platform, we look forward to getting this capability in the hands of our sailors, Marines, and allies operating in the maritime environment.” AeroVironment JUMP 20 is deployed to U.S. and allied militaries around the world, and it can be provided on a contractor-owned / contractor-operated (COCO) basis to maximize operational flexibility.
HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding Opens Additional Site in Norfolk
NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that its Newport News Shipbuilding division has begun production at an additional campus in Norfolk to support the shipyard’s continued progress toward more effective and efficient shipbuilding.
The Newport News Shipbuilding Norfolk Campus is located on land leased from Fairlead in the Lambert’s Point area, at a development known as Fairwinds Landing. NNS shipbuilders have worked at the site for several months constructing steel panels that will eventually make up units of Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80).
“This is a prime example of how we’re innovating, thinking differently and improving efficiency when it comes to building the aircraft carriers our nation needs,” explained Les Smith, NNS vice president for Enterprise (CVN 80), Doris Miller (CVN 81) and future aircraft carrier programs. “Coupling our energized workforce with this additional capacity is already yielding positive results and we expect to see great synergy as a result of this intentional investment.”
In addition to Enterprise (CVN 80) panel production work, the site is freeing up critical storage space at the main shipyard in Newport News to support other programs, including nuclear-powered submarine production. The campus in Norfolk also allows for future growth opportunities.
HII investment, coupled with Navy funding, is helping to make the new campus possible. NNS leadership and shipbuilders joined with city of Norfolk leaders, Navy officials and Fairlead leadership to mark the opening Monday.
Rear Adm. Casey Moton, program executive officer for aircraft carriers, said the Norfolk campus is a prime example of what can be accomplished when the Navy-industry team comes together to drive new shipbuilding efficiencies into programs and to invest in the future of the industrial base and the workers and communities that support them.
“I think the fact that we’re able to both expand capacity but at the same time make it easier for employees that work in this area with shorter commutes, good parking, is not only good for them, but hopefully it’ll attract more people to the shipbuilding business,” Moton said.
Moton also talked about delivering much-needed capability against a backdrop of current world events. “The importance of our aircraft carriers and what you all do here, and our Navy’s ability to project power from five acres of sovereign U.S. territory, anywhere in the world has never been more clear,” Moton said.
Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander spoke on the importance of collaboration, “As an essential corporate citizen in our region, HII and its remarkable shipbuilders serve as a vital force in protecting our national security and shaping the future of defense,” Alexander said. “We thank HII for choosing to invest in Norfolk and reaffirming our commitment to workforce development by bringing dozens of highly-sought after jobs to our city.”
NNS is the nation’s sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of just two shipyards capable of building nuclear-powered submarines for the Navy. Three Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers are currently under construction: John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), Enterprise (CVN 80) and Doris Miller (CVN 81).
Tri-lateral alliance set to address critical AUKUS workforce and skilling opportunities
Release from HII
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SYDNEY, Australia, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Defense companies HII (NYSE: HII) and Babcock Australasia (Babcock) have joined forces with the University of Adelaide, Curtin University, and the University of NSW to form the AUKUS Workforce Alliance (AWA) — a dedicated partnership committed to preparing a skilled workforce in support of all steps of Australia’s optimal pathway to sovereign nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS Pillar 1.
The AWA will work together in a tri-lateral alliance, combining proven and trusted knowledge, skills and unrivalled experience from across Australia, the United Kingdom and United States.
The AWA seeks to address the current and future workforce needs that are required to accelerate sovereign capability, capacity and resilience for Australia’s defense sector.
Working together, the AWA will educate the thousands of qualified Australian engineering, maritime and nuclear trade and professional workers required to support the nation’s nuclear-powered submarine enterprise from infrastructure, sustainment, supply chain through to disposal.
The AUKUS Workforce Alliance will:
Establish a proactive, innovative and internationally recognised platform for skill enhancement and leadership to support development of a sovereign, nuclear-powered submarine workforce in Australia.
Lead the development and execution of critical upskilling programs, focusing on harnessing the full potential of Australia’s industrial base.
Foster cutting-edge research and practical experience for the future workforce.
Quotes attributable to:
HII President Nuclear and Environment Services Group Michael Lempke
“HII is proud to work with Australia’s education institutions and to bring more than 60 years of nuclear shipbuilding expertise to the training of a workforce capable of supporting, and ultimately executing, nuclear shipbuilding. The AWA is an investment in the security, and economic and technological progress of Australia. This comprehensive and rigorous training approach is also a commitment to the safety and protection of people and the environment and fostering public trust.”
Babcock Australasia Managing Director AUKUS and International Sir Nick Hine KCB
“Babcock is proud to be partnering with HII and some of Australia’s top universities in a true, tri-lateral alliance to form the AUKUS Workforce Alliance.
Collectively, we will equip the workforce with the knowledge and the skills required to deliver the most complex and largest defence agenda in Australia’s history.
Given our extensive global experience in sustainment, nuclear safety and stewardship, Babcock stands ready to assist Australia in delivering this very significant opportunity, including growing the required workforce to support the delivery of the nation’s first nuclear-powered submarines.”
University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Peter Høj AC
“The University of Adelaide is pleased to be joining the AUKUS Workforce Alliance (AWA). This alliance will strengthen and broaden the university’s partnering with industry in developing the workforce for the nation’s naval shipbuilding enterprise.
The University of Adelaide has an outstanding global reputation for teaching and research as well as a strong track record of working closely with industry, government and our global partners.
This partnership marks another step in the journey towards Australia realising the goals of the AUKUS partnership.”
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Harlene Hayne
“Curtin is proud to be a foundation partner with global defence industry leaders HII and Babcock, and the University of NSW and University of Adelaide, in developing a highly skilled workforce to support the nuclear-powered submarine program in Australia and Western Australia.
Drawing on our significant expertise in building strong, sustainable communities of practice and in resilience and defence capabilities, Curtin will generate WA’s talent pipelines in collaboration with our key strategic partners within state and federal governments, industry, and the broader education sector, noting initial workforce deployment will be centred around WA.”
University of NSW Professor Attila Brungs, Vice-Chancellor and President of UNSW
“UNSW is pleased to be contributing our unique expertise and capabilities to the ground-breaking AUKUS Workforce Alliance. We look forward to supporting the Australian Submarine Agency’s “whole of nation” skilling objectives through collaboration with our partner universities in Adelaide and Perth, as well as with two global defence industry primes, in Babcock and HII, boasting a deep shared submarine capability sustainment heritage.
Our postgraduate and short courses across many faculties are geared to skill-building in advanced capabilities. Coupled with UNSW’s nation-leading faculty of engineering, the only nuclear engineering program in Australia with cutting-edge work on nuclear safety, UNSW is already pivoting towards generating the workforce needed across the entire nuclear ecosystem, from social licence to manufacturing facilities to regulatory authorities.”
Systems Models Keep Submarines Mission Ready
BY TRACY GREGORIO
An important, yet often underappreciated challenge for undersea warfare is keeping submarine systems well-maintained and available. Every command has a budget for reliability, maintainability, and availability (RMA), but those resources are limited and need to be carefully allocated to keep warfighting systems mission-ready.
For decades now, maintenance planning has been performed by seasoned engineers who understand how component lifecycles and failure rates can affect their systems. This process of expert-driven failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is time consuming, expensive, and can take months to complete by veterans whose expertise is sorely needed elsewhere.
Additional time is also needed to evaluate changes using the Risk Management Framework (RMF), to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities that may degrade system availability.
Model-Based Approach.
To address this challenge, a model-based system engineering (MBSE) approach is starting to automate failure mode analysis, facilitating more efficient RMA planning. This shift provides additional time for design optimization, refinement of reliability predictions, and comprehensive analysis of casualty reporting. The result is better mission-readiness for our fleet, while consuming fewer resources.
Reliability analysis is important to ensure that a warfighting platform has no single point of failure across its many components. Between a ship’s tight spaces and funding limitations, it’s impossible to go to sea with spares for everything.
One organization using this new MBSE approach is the Undersea Communications & Integration Program Office, PEO C4I / Program Manager, Warfare (PMW 770). Their Program Manager, Captain David Kuhn explained, “If spares are not available, we have to plan for alternate ways of accomplishing a mission, even if it’s less stealthily. To ensure we optimize our ability to change parts and/or have redundant paths for missions, we build forecasts based on how often parts are used. If a component fails early and there is no spare on board, it could be a mission kill.”
The MBSE models enable program managers, like Kuhn, to create forecasts better and faster, while tying together different engineering disciplines and stakeholder communities. “Engineers specialized in systems design, cyber, and reliably each have their own approach,” said Kuhn. “They need different views and have historically used different models. Now they use the same model, each getting the views they need, and enabling analysis that just couldn’t be done before.”
Confidence in Outcomes
These consolidated models enable analysis and simulation on a fully validated data set that increases confidence in predicted outcomes. Kuhn illustrated the value of this analysis by describing a recent upgrade needed to improve system monitoring through the addition of passive data taps. “What normally would have needed 60 or 90 days we accomplished in a couple weeks, letting us quickly deploy the upgrades to the fleet.” The models also enable green or less experienced engineers to address critical maintenance planning elements. “MBSE helps new people coming on to look at a failure diagram and understand it faster and more accurately,” notes Kuhn. This MBSE approach is being used by engineers adapting systems to field on the new classes of submarine to plan and optimize their maintenance schemes. This approach will ensure that component failures don’t interfere with the platform’s most important mission threads. “The hull designs of the new sub class have an impact on how we design and maintain our antenna systems,” explained Kuhn. “Through the MBSE model, we saw how a change in one subsystem increased tensions in another. While each element was meeting its defined requirements, the model showed that failure risk increased. While we might have eventually caught the issue, the model helped us see it easily and early in the design cycle.”
The MBSE model also generates the reports and views needed to get system changes through the RMF approval process. Kuhn, explaining the practical consequences, stated, “We use the model to assess RMF compliance faster and with more accuracy, in part by eliminating the possibility of ‘fat finger’ data re-entry errors. Our team says they can complete RMF diagrams in a third of the normal time.” That is a huge time-saver for engineers, and a safety net against errors. The system uses the following key components:
A digital model of the warfighting platform is created to replicate all components, connections, and system functionality. This model is capable of simulating every system operation, effectively capturing the interactions between various components. It also illustrates their relationship with the officers and sailors who are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the system.
The model is populated with reliability data from COTS manufacturers and field experience, generating reliability diagrams correlated to mission threads.
Engineers use the model to simulate planned maintenance or upgrades and test operational threads for mission success, reviewing different alternatives for impacts on mission readiness.
The models export field-level instructional resources directly into interactive electronic technical manuals (ITEMs). This reduces the cost and time needed to give sailors up-to-date information for their individual hull, so they can maintain mission readiness and quickly respond to unexpected failures.
This approach is not limited to the latest-generation submarines. Maintenance planners are constantly dealing with obsolescence replacement.
“Our C4I systems make heavy use of commercial off-the-shelf servers and hard drives that go obsolete in as little as four years,” said Kuhn. “The models help us identify where one change drives a companion change in another system. For instance, we might need to make a firewall change for data to flow properly. We have to replace those elements quickly without waiting for a major availability cycle that might be five years out. We can’t afford for our systems to be the reason a sub is not out at sea.”
Transition Challenges
There are challenges in moving to a new approach in terms of the tools and skillsets needed by the workforce. Comparing MBSE transition challenges to those encountered during the shift to Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Kuhn said, “Just as we had to transition from engineers with drafting expertise into those who could work in CAD, now we need engineers that know how to use MBSE tools. It’s not as easy as opening Microsoft Word, but it can be done. The real key will be changing entire processes to adapt to the MBSE models. Using the same old processes, but just layering on the new tools will not be effective. It requires a cultural change, just as happened when we went from pencil drafting to CAD.”
This approach can improve the maintainability of any sea-going platform with integrated MBSE models that span engineering disciplines, cyber, RMF compliance, and reliability. It doesn‘t happen overnight, but can make an impact, one model and one command at a time.
Producing state-of-the-art AI-driven technologies for autonomous systems
September 2023, Global- Advanced Navigation, the world’s most determined innovator in artificial intelligence (AI) for robotic and navigation technologies, has unveiled a new high-tech robotics facility for autonomous systems based at UTS Tech Lab in Botany, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
The facility will scale up the manufacturing of Advanced Navigation’s world-first AI navigation systems for GPS-denied environments, including its digital fiber-optic gyroscope (DFOG) technology, Boreas.
Advanced Navigation is one of only four companies in the world with the capability to manufacture strategic grade fiber-optic gyroscopes. This technology empowers reliable navigation for marine vessels, space missions, aerospace, defense, autonomous vehicles and flying taxis. The company deploys its unique AI-based physics algorithms to solve complex challenges earth-bound and beyond.
Strengthening Australia’s sovereign capabilities
Xavier Orr, Advanced Navigation CEO and co-founder, said, “There is a critical need to improve Australia’s economic complexity and sovereign capabilities. A key step is to build our industrial capacity in high-tech, as well as drive knowledge exchange and propel collaborative initiatives between government agencies, academic institutions and industry leaders.”
State-of-art robotics manufacturing for autonomous systems
There is a seismic shift across the landscape of sovereign manufacturing, driven by advanced technologies like AI, automation and precision engineering. In the context of autonomous systems, the importance of precision and reliability is non-negotiable.
Adopting a vertical integration framework, the facility houses equipment and processes for automated manufacturing utilizing machine learning. This guarantees the delivery of reliable, durable and high-quality navigation systems.
Collaborating with UTS academics and community
In addition to the manufacturing capability, the facility will be home to extensive research collaborations between Advanced Navigation and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). This will expedite the commercialization of several socially impactful technologies, including:
Light Detection, Altimetry and Velocimetry (LiDAV) system– LiDAV delivers precise three-dimensional velocity and altitude information relative to the lunar surface, enabling complex autonomous landing procedures and confident exploration on the moon. The technology is set to board US-based space systems company Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander as part of NASA’s ongoing Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
Cloud Ground Control– A revolutionary cloud-based solution that allows pilots and mission planners to remotely command and control a swarm of uncrewed vehicles across air, land and sea through a web browser. By enabling real-time video feed, and telemetry, and easy access and management of captured data, Cloud Ground Control provides full remote visibility and situational awareness in search and rescue, emergency response and disaster relief operations.
Guiding visually impaired passengers– As part of the NSW Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program, Advanced Navigation has developed an indoor positioning technology to support members of the visually impaired community navigate safely inside underground train stations.
Professor Andrew Parfitt, Vice-Chancellor and President of UTS, said,“UTS is pleased to be working with Advanced Navigation to tap into critical growth areas, including AI, robotics and space technologies.
The collaboration between UTS’s global research leaders in autonomous systems technology and Advanced Navigation’s exceptional team of scientists and engineers, utilizing UTS Tech Lab’s cutting-edge facilities, highlights our commitment to developing sovereign capabilities for defense and space.
We look forward to deepening and expanding our collective capabilities with Advanced Navigation to accelerate the production of high-impact innovations.”
Bolstering societal demand for STEM roles
The facility appeals to the Federal Government’s ongoing commitment towards building a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. It is set to drive employment in robotics, manufacturing, photonics, mechatronics and mechanical engineering and other fields.
Chris Shaw, Advanced Navigation CEO and co-founder, said, “Our new facility will help drive rapid growth in Australia’s STEM industry. Determined to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution, we are commercializing technologies that are key to addressing some of humanity’s biggest challenges. We are honored to partner with UTS, who has a reputation for supporting multidisciplinary research and opening access to next-generation technologies.”
Advanced Navigation was founded on a culture of research and discovery. Powered by a deep curiosity to apply ground-breaking technologies to uncover and explore new frontiers, the company is ultimately extending human capabilities to build a more resilient and sustainable future with safer outcomes, on and off planet.
NOAA awards contract for renovations to research ship pier in North Charleston, SC
NOAA has awarded $59.8 million to Manson Construction Company to renovate the agency’s pier facility in North Charleston, South Carolina. The pier is integral to safe and efficient research ship operations in the area, with work expected to be completed in 2026.
The renovations will include demolishing and building a new pier that includes shoreside power for ships, as well as a warehouse, sea wall and living shoreline, and other supporting infrastructure. Reconstruction of the pier and other facility upgrades will allow NOAA ships Ronald H. Brown and Nancy Foster to once again have a designated place to dock and better accommodate research missions in the Atlantic. Both ships are homeported in Charleston.
“Many of NOAA’s investments in infrastructure over the next several years are made possible because of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “Projects like this one to replace an aging NOAA facility along with other efforts to improve our supercomputing capacity and strengthen NOAA’s hurricane hunter fleet would not be possible without this historic funding.”
The design and construction of the pier and supporting infrastructure is funded in part by the Inflation Reduction Act — a historic $3.3 billion investment to help communities, including tribes and vulnerable populations, prepare, adapt and build resilience to weather and climate events in pursuit of a climate-ready nation. The act also supports improvements to weather and climate data and services, and strengthens NOAA’s fleet of research airplanes and ships.
“Our ships cannot efficiently complete their critical work without safe and reliable shoreside infrastructure,” said NOAA Corps Rear Adm. Nancy Hann, director of NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. “Investing in our infrastructure ensures that NOAA can meet essential at-sea data collection requirements for the economic security, public safety and national security for many years to come. This award comes on the heels of our ribbon-cutting ceremony in Ketchikan, Alaska, for our new facility there and I am grateful for these facilities to support our ships.”
This contract was awarded following a request for proposals that was open January–May 2023.
NOAA’s fleet of 15 research and survey ships are operated, managed and maintained by NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. The fleet ranges from large oceanographic research vessels capable of exploring the world’s deepest ocean, to smaller ships responsible for charting the shallow bays and inlets of the U.S. The vessels support a wide range of marine activities, including fisheries surveys, nautical charting and ocean and climate studies. NOAA ships are operated by NOAA Corps officers and civilian professional mariners.
Crowley, BWXT Debut Nuclear Power Generation Vessel Concept
(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.; Sept. 20, 2023) – Global shipping and energy supply chain leader Crowley has teamed with nuclear power leader BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) through a memorandum of understanding for a ship concept that has the potential to generate alternative, zero-carbon emission energy for defense and disaster needs by including a microreactor on board.
The new memorandum of understanding with BWXT’s Advanced Technologies subsidiary will allow both companies to jointly pursue and develop opportunities relative to the design, engineering and development of new shallow-draft hull ships that will supply small-scale nuclear energy to shoreside locations. The new ships would feature the latest technology available for factory fabricated microreactors, readily deployed into a shipyard configuration for ease of installation on the vessel. The onboard power plant would supply energy to shore facilities, such as military bases in remote island locations, backup utility grids after disasters, and provide power in other scenarios where traditional electricity sources are damaged or not possible.
The new vessel concept envisions a 378-foot ship that pulls from the logistics and marine capabilities of Crowley, a longtime operator with in-house vessel design by its Crowley Engineering Services, and the nuclear capabilities of BWXT, a leading supplier of nuclear components, fuel and services to the U.S. government at the highest levels of safety and security for more than 60 years. Both Crowley and BWXT are based in the United States and have been in business for more than a century.
“Our cooperation with BWXT will move Crowley for the first time into the nuclear energy sector, a key part of our commitment to sustainable, alternative energy sources. This concept supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s goal of maintaining U.S. leadership in nuclear energy technology as well as many the U.S. Department of Defense’s strategic goals for operational energy,” said Shiju Zacharia, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Government Solutions.
This new vessel concept pairs traditional propulsion while carrying a modular reactor between 5 and 50 megawatts that can be activated upon arrival at the destination and be deactivated and transported after the power supply is discontinued. Buoyed power delivery cables will enable the ships to deploy energy connections to shore. Shallow draft hulls allow the vessels to maneuver to strategically deliver power for military activities or if disasters limit harbor access.
“We are excited to work alongside Crowley to leverage our ongoing reactor development and demonstration programs, advancing nuclear technology into new and novel markets to deliver zero carbon emissions energy generation to strategic locations,” said Joe Miller, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC.
New ocean mapping center expands NOAA, University of New Hampshire partnership
By NOAA Communications, September 19, 2023
NOAA and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) are expanding a 24-year ocean and Great Lakes mapping partnership through the creation of a new Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping.
“NOAA and UNH have a long history of collaborating to advance the latest technologies and tools to map our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes — a cornerstone of the blue economy,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator. “Our continued partnership on the Center of Excellence will help build a workforce ready to tackle the mapping challenges of the future, and further our understanding of our changing ocean and coasts.”
“The University of New Hampshire’s world-class Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping and Joint Hydrographic Center has led the way for more than two decades in ocean mapping, helping ensure safe marine transportation and understanding coastal hazards. This leadership is affirmed by NOAA locating a new Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping on UNH’s campus. With this $8 million NOAA grant I helped secure, New Hampshire’s ongoing research and training programs will remain ahead of the curve in this leading field,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds NOAA.
The Center of Excellence is funded through $10 million in NOAA’s FY 2023 budget, and will complement existing research, technical expertise and advanced educational programs at the NOAA-UNH Joint Hydrographic Center and UNH’s Center for Coastal Ocean Mapping. The Center of Excellence will focus on the following priorities:
Delivering practical hydrographic training and fostering workforce development for ocean mapping operations.
Providing technical expertise and systems support for NOAA’s mapping operations on an increasingly diverse set of platforms, including new ships and uncrewed survey vessels.
Partnering with academia and industry to transition ocean mapping research to operations.
“Accurate and up-to-date maps of our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes are critical to maritime commerce, transportation and recreation, and directly support resilient coastal communities,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. “This new Center of Excellence will build on existing collaboration with UNH as we implement cutting-edge mapping technology and train the next generation of ocean and coastal mapping professionals.”
“NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey is excited to work with the University of New Hampshire as we develop and operate the Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping,” said RDML Ben Evans, director of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. “This Center will amplify our efforts to transition research to operations, provide technical support to our fleet, and generate, develop and diversify our mapping workforce, all in collaboration with our academic, public and private sector partners.”
A portion of the funding will be used by UNH to construct a new, state-of-the-art ocean mapping facility that will serve as the focal point of a campus innovation hub to bring together academia, industry and government. The new facility will include office and instructional space, as well as a large, high-ceiling area with overhead cranes — known as a high bay — for storing, outfitting and staging bulky equipment and small vessels. Upon completion, the facility would provide a shared space for collaboration between NOAA staff from the Joint Hydrographic Center and Center of Excellence, UNH faculty and staff and ocean industry partners.
“The Center of Excellence will build upon our decades-long partnership with NOAA, as well as grow the critical research field of ocean and Great Lakes mapping, where we can engage with industry leaders to develop and train the next generation of mappers,” said Marian McCord, senior vice provost for research, economic engagement and outreach at the University of New Hampshire. “NOAA will anchor UNH’s new mixed-use complex, The Edge, which will be the core of activity for faculty, students, industry and government to come together, share ideas and execute cutting-edge concepts. This breeding ground for innovation and invention will be a key player in providing economic growth for the town of Durham and growing the workforce in the state of New Hampshire.”
Ocean mapping data is the basis for researching, exploring and characterizing our nation’s ocean, coasts and Great Lakes in order to support maritime commerce, transportation and emergency response activities. Ocean and Great Lakes mapping provides foundational data for a wide range of key NOAA priorities, including modeling and forecasting water levels, currents, storm surge and tsunami inundation; fisheries habitat identification; marine protected area site selection and management; and environmentally sound offshore energy development. Learn more about NOAA’s mapping responsibilities through the Office of Coast Survey.
Teledyne FLIR Defense Demonstrates Groundbreaking UAV Vehicle Reconnaissance Technology at DSEI in London
‘Black Recon’ tech concept will enable crews in fighting vehicles to autonomously launch and recover small drones for immediate, covert situational awareness without leaving the vehicle
LONDON, September 12, 2023 ― Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), is showcasing a new technology concept at this week’s DSEI conference in London that will allow crews to autonomously launch small drones operated from inside a military vehicle; perform reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA); and then recover the aircraft without ever having to leave the safety of the vehicle.
The Black Recon™ Vehicle Reconnaissance System (VRS) is a development program that features an entirely new micro-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to withstand the rigors of traveling on infantry and other fighting vehicles. The system is built to provide continuous untethered reconnaissance at flight speeds that allow the UAV to work ahead of advancing vehicles, supplying valuable situational awareness even beyond line of sight.
Fitted inside a hardened launch box mounted to a vehicle, Black Recon’s deployment system can launch up to three UAVs during a mission. When one returns, a unique cradle-arm autonomously recovers the drone using patented technology to precisely track, capture, and dock the UAV – day or night, even in poor weather. Drones are then automatically recharged for the next mission
With its thermal and visual payload, Black Recon delivers live imagery and targeting information to vehicle crews. Operators can use the system for a wide range of missions, such as assessing if terrain is passable, sweeping for mines and improvised explosive devices, or performing close-up inspection under bridges using onboard illumination. The system provides high precision RSTA and can perform GPS-denied operations.
“Black Recon represents a groundbreaking new capability and a force multiplier for warfighters to take on near-peer adversaries,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “The ability to launch and recover UAVs in seconds from a vehicle, without exposing the crew, will enable fighting units to maintain operational tempo and leverage the system when it’s needed most – in dynamic, uncertain, and complex environments.
“We continue to refine Black Recon’s technology and are excited about future applications, not only for the military but also other areas like law enforcement, border security, and critical infrastructure protection. We look forward to sharing the concept with industry partners during DSEI,” Lei added.
A Day to Remember
This is the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, and on the world.
Once again, it is a day to reflect and remember. In fact, we who experienced the events of that day in any way must remember and share, lest we not forget. If you don’t know about what happened that day, then you must become educated, and made aware of the events of that day in New York, Washington and Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was an attack driven by hate, and an attack on all of us.
There is a saying that you die three times: when you take your last breath; when they cover your grave after your funeral; and when your name is uttered for the last time.
This is what I remember, and what I choose to reflect upon every year on this day. You will indulge me, I hope, because it is necessary for me to share this with others and share it every year on this day for as long as I can do so. It is the least I can do for a shipmate.
So, join me in saying his name: Michael Noeth.
*** Linseed oil:
Some things have an evocative smell.
When I was in command of the Naval Media Center in Washington, D.C., the executive officer of a ship based at Pearl Harbor – USS Russell (DDG 59) – called my staff at All Hands magazine in our Publishing Department. The XO had a Sailor aboard the ship who wanted to be a draftsman.
The “undesignated seamen” or SNs on a ship usually work in the deck force, chipping paint and handling lines. As they see what professional opportunities are available on board their ship, they can “strike” for a rating, like Radioman or Quartermaster. A “Striker Board” will convene and review the needs of the ship, and the desires of the individual. If the Sailor is squared away, has done a good job with the deck force and the ship needs a Quartermaster (QM), for example, he or she can strike for that rating, and becomes a QMSN.
Seaman Michael Noeth wanted to be a Draftsman. The DM rating was one of the smallest ratings in the Navy. There were very few of them compared to Gunner’s Mates or Machinist’s Mates, and certainly none aboard a surface combatant. In fact, today the rating has been disestablished and the functions combined into the Mass Communications Specialist (MC) rating.
In this case, the executive officer wanted to do something good for his Sailor. And this was extraordinary, because USS Russell was about to depart on deployment. In spite of the fact that the ship was about to be on cruise for six months, the XO called us and asked if his Sailor could come and work with us to learn the DM rating so he would be prepared to take the DM test for Third Class Petty Officer. If he passed, he could become a DM3. If not, he could return to the ship and eventually strike for another rating. For our part of the deal, we had to cover his travel expenses. We said yes.
There are never enough Sailors in the Deck Force, especially on deployment, but the XO wanted to help a Sailor. So, SN Michael Noeth came to work for us in the Publishing Department at the Naval Media Center in Washington, D.C.
He was placed under the expert tutelage of our Draftsman First Class (DM1) Rhea Mackenzie. Seaman Noeth quickly made himself at home in a back corner of the All Hands magazine production spaces. And it was here he set up his easels, canvasses a and paints. When I would come by — which was often, because I was always wandering around Building 168 to see all of the interesting stories and projects our people were working on — I could smell the linseed oil he used for his brushes long before I reached his work area. He would have various canvasses and illustrations in various stages of completion posted around his desk, as well as examples of artwork he admired or wanted to emulate.
As one of the 450 men and women of the Naval Media Center, he learned his trade from an experienced draftsman, created artistic content for All Hands magazine, and became a well-liked and contributing member of the command. At our Halloween party, he came in second place in our costume contest. He was a dead ringer “Alex” from Clockwork Orange, and was topped only by an even more convincing Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmatians.
Whenever I got near his work area, I would be greeted by the smell of his linseed oil, and I knew I would be in for some kind of surprise. Seaman Noeth painted the cover for several issues of All Hands magazine (such as the one with a cut-out porthole that opened to an ocean panorama. To see him tackle these assignments was a joy, probably because he was enjoying his work, and appreciative of the opportunity. On my visits, I would see the many versions and sketches he was working on, and I could see it all come together with the finished product.
He took the advancement exam and passed it. As his six-month temporary assignment came to an end, his command allowed him to transfer to my command on a permanent basis as they did not have any billets for a draftsman, and we did. Soon, he moved on to other Navy assignments as a Draftsman, all because his ship wanted to give him a chance to realize his dream, and my command wanted to help him get there. We felt good about helping him attain his goal. But most of all, because he was a Sailor who deserved it.
He did, indeed, become a talented Navy illustrator and draftsman. He served aboard amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), and was later assigned to the Navy Command Center where he skillfully created briefings and presentations for Navy leadership. He was doing just that on September 11, 2001, when terrorists forced an airliner to crash into that building.
We must not forget. So, I choose to remember a bright, ambitious, creative young striker today, and whenever I smell linseed oil.
